


New Years kiss

by hopelessly_me



Series: Mandatory Fun Day <3 [2]
Category: Marvel
Genre: First Kiss, First Time Meeting, Light Drinking, M/M, New Years bash, Sneaky boys, boys in suits, dance before midnight, pre-dating, short hair bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22032745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: Clint agreed to go with Tony to a New Year's Eve Bash, where they make a deal that if Clint ends up with someone by midnight, Tony will ask Steve out on a date. He thinks he may have found the perfect person for the job.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Series: Mandatory Fun Day <3 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580872
Comments: 18
Kudos: 114
Collections: Mandatory Fun Day





	New Years kiss

“Look at you, bird brain, you do clean up nicely,” Tony said, half impressed, half mocking, the moment he walked into the room. “And your hair-" He whistled encouragingly.

Clint looked over from the bathroom and studied Tony before he nodded. “Yeah, soak it in while you can. This is a one time deal, Tones.”

Clint was not a dress up and impress people type of guy. Clint was a suit up and intimidate people kind of guy- it kind of came with the job. But when your employer, who also happens to be one of your best friends, asks you to escort him to an event that promises booze and food? You take him up on it. So Clint was suited up for the evening after much protest because apparently his suit hadn’t been good enough. He managed to wrangle in his hair, which was a feat in and of itself, and yeah- Clint could pull off being a put together adult if he had to.

“You really should let me promote you up, you could dress like this every day,” Tony offered. “I mean, that suit does wonders for your ass.”

“Sorry Tones, I don’t date employers,” Clint said with a smile before he walked out, straightening his tie. Tony whined playfully before he wrapped an arm around Clint’s back. Clint grinned and looped his around Tony’s shoulders. “Let me work there a year first, that way the guys don’t think I’m just gettin’ booted up because we are friends. Bad enough half of ‘em think we are fuck buddies. That interview didn’t help.”

“I sang you praises, you are a vet, sue me,” Tony said dramatically. “And we are doing a better job about hiring and promoting vets, and your story was perfect.”

“Uh huh,” Clint said, grabbing his keys as he let go of Tony. “Thanks for making me one of your PR stunts, man. I’m enjoying it.” Tony was grinning so bright that it made Clint’s nerves melt away. “So, am I a personal guard tonight or-”

“You are my plus one, not _date_ ,” Tony emphasized, making it a point.

“Thank fuck for small miracles,” Clint laughed, closing the door after them and locking it. “Anyway, we did try that once and it was a disaster. You know, I think that Steve Rogers guy would make a good match with you. I kinda like him.”

Clint liked Steve Rogers. Aside from a flawless military career, the guy was polite and mature, exactly the kind of person Clint thought Tony needed to be involved with. And ever since they repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Rogers had been a champion for the LGBT military members. He took the heat and never once faltered in delivering a perfectly constructed reply to the haters of the world. He was smart, worldly even, and was good looking.

The only problem was, Tony didn’t _do_ military men, not after Clint. Tony didn’t like the idea of the person he was seeing being overseas in god knows what country risking their lives, constantly in the line of fire. It was one of the many things that unraveled their already fragile relationship, and for a short stint it ended their friendship altogether. But when Clint came back after an IED attack that ended most of his squadron’s military careers, Tony was the first one there helping Clint pick up the pieces. Tony seeing first hand what war could do left him altered, and changing his whole company’s business model; Clint was extremely proud of him. 

“Steve Rog- you are fighting dirty now,” Tony commented, trying to sound angry about it.

Clint smiled back at Tony. “Oh come on, he is mature, he has his head on straight. You could use a guy like that. And really? Social status and all that? He’s in your league. Hell, you might be out of his league,” he taunted, hoping if he made it a challenge that Tony would be tempted to try.

“You know what- I’ll make you a deal,” Tony said as they walked together. “If I see you at midnight in someone’s loving embrace-”

“Gag.”

“Then I will ask Rogers out on a date.” Clint sighed as dramatically as he could before he looked at Tony. “Hey, you deserve something nice this New Year’s Eve. Especially after- what was that guy you broke up with? Gaslighting guy.”

“Loki.”

“Don’t get me wrong- I was into the whole hipster look the guy was flaunting. But really, Barton?” Tony asked.

“I know,” Clint drawled out as he opened the door. “I made a bad choice there, stuck around too long. Thought I could make things better, yada yada. I _know_.” He scrunched his face up when the man at the car opened the door for them. “Seriously, Happy, I could have handled the door,” Clint said before he smiled. “Thanks.” He climbed in first, knowing full well that Tony hated wrinkling his suits. “I’m just saying- you should give Rogers a chance.”

“You find someone at this party and fine- I’ll give Rogers a chance.” 

Clint always hated parties where he would have to suit up and listen to the influential people of the country talk. Most of them sounded so smart, so sophisticated, educated. Clint barely passed by with his high school diploma and joined the military the second he could. He grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, grew up with parents who made the same amount of money in one year as some of these people made in one day. He didn’t belong at mixers like these, especially on New Year’s Eve. He belonged in a bar, getting drunk and making out with the first person who paid him attention. 

For what it was worth, Tony was trying to make him feel less insecure about the current situation. His interview two weeks ago about pulling away from the weapons game, about knowing a guy who was hurt in an explosion that used weapons that were stolen by the enemy, and then Clint’s story on top of that- it was still a buzz in this crowd it seemed and Tony soaked it in with his confident smile.

“How did you two meet?” a woman asked Clint. “Not school I assume.”

“No ma’am,” Clint replied. “There was an after-school program set up for underprivileged youth through the Stark Foundation that I had joined. It had kickboxing and a few other physical activities. Sometimes Tony would be there and I guess after awhile we just talked and clicked.”

“He is putting it so politely it pains me,” Tony said dramatically. “What really happened was we were doing to kickboxing lessons together and I was practically in love with him.” _Oh, I am going to kill him._ “So I asked the instructor for help and we got paired every single time I went. Like, this guy never talked in the classes but he always had this intense focus. So when I finally confessed that I had the slightest crush on him, _months_ in because it took him that long to talk to me, he kinda just laughed, shook his head and said I could do better.”

The woman’s eyes were huge and all expectant of a happy ending. So were the few others who were listening. “And we have been friends ever since,” Clint finished. “Tony, I am going to go grab a drink, would you like anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” Tony replied. “Oh, but this one time-”

Before Tony could launch himself into another story that Clint was sure was going to be embarrassing he left, walking to the bar. He ordered whatever beer they had and accepted it graciously, probably taking too long of a drink than what was normal for these events. He knew he should be getting back, that he was supposed to be there for Tony, but the thought of enduring another story about them felt like a chore; Clint valued his privacy, and Tony was used to being an open book. It was unnerving and left Clint feeling a little too raw.

“You look like a guy who just pulled himself out of the line of fire.”

Clint looked over at the man who was leaning against the bar. He was shorter, which really didn’t take much compared to Clint’s height, but he was more solidly built. His dark hair was cropped short and he had this tantalizing confident smirk on his face as he ordered his drink. He was dressed sharply, looking like he was meant to be there, with this crowd.

“Something like that,” Clint replied, trying to not stare at the man up and down. “Clint Barton,” he offered, holding a hand out.

“James Barnes,” the man replied, shaking it. “You look a bit lost. Not used to these events?” he guessed.

“Just here to support a friend really,” Clint replied. “You?”

“Same. You would think just coming back from Afghanistan would buy me some leeway to miss a party like this, but apparently my friend disagrees,” James answered before he took a sip from his drink.

“Military?” Clint guessed.

“Army- 107th, a sergeant,” James replied easily. “Not to brag or anything.”

“Nice. Marines,” Clint replied. “Well, exited out about four years ago. IEDs will do that to a guy.”

“Same, one year,” James replied before he pushed back his sleeve to show off a metal prosthetic.

“Nice Stark design,” Clint commented. He pulled out a hearing aid and held it between his fingers. “Ditto.” He slid it back into place, adjusting it as he went.

“Where were you stationed when the shit show happened?” James asked casually, and Clint could pick up the Brooklynn accent.

“Syria,” Clint answered, finishing his beer. “Brooklynn guy then?” he asked. “I live in Bed-Stuy.”

“Nice. Yeah. But you definitely don’t sound like one of us,” James pointed out.

“Moved to the city from Iowa when I was twelve,” Clint answered. “Did basics at Parris, shipped out from there.”

“I see you met Mr. Barton.” Clint turned and smiled at Steve’s familiar face. Clint reached a hand out and shook Steve’s before he ordered another drink. “This is my friend, Bucky.”

“Come on, Stevie, Bucky sounds like something a kid would call me,” James complained, not sounding the least bit offended. Clint noticed a fondness between them that made him a little weak.

“Bucky, I like it,” Clint replied to tease the guy.

“Do you dance, Mr. Barton?” Steve asked offhandedly.

“It’s Clint and uh- kind of? I mean, a little. I’m not the best there is,” Clint answered.

“You should take him for a whirl, Buck,” Steve said with a wink before he collected his drink and walked away.

“Thanks for that, Punk,” Bucky called out to him, a little too late.

“What… just happened?” Clint asked, his eyes back on Bucky who seemed to shift a hair away.

“Not going to get offended and punch me, are ya?” Bucky asked. Clint had seen it a time or two before from military men, the reserve they had about coming out in any way. Clint remembered having to toe that line a few times himself.

“I’m bisexual,” Clint admitted freely.

“That’s perfect,” Bucky muttered, relaxing again. “He thinks it’s time I dated someone. Apparently losing my arm is only an excuse for so long.”

“I claimed hearing loss and PTSD- PTSD should buy you more time,” Clint mentioned. 

It wasn’t like Clint hadn’t tried to steer clear of dating at first either, even if he knew using PTDS as an excuse was kind of low; he knew what a mess he was, and he didn’t need someone else dealing with his messiness. All Clint lost was his hearing and some clear skin, now scarred, and that left him with too much baggage. He figured losing an arm came with a whole different level of hell.

“Got a pen so I can write that down? How long did it buy you?” Bucky asked.

Clint pulled a pen out of his pocket and grabbed a napkin before he started to write. “Not a year, but hell,” he replied before he put the pen away and held the napkin out, “it buys you my number.”

Bucky nearly snatched the napkin out of Clint’s hand before tucking it away in his pocket. “That was honestly… smooth.” Clint nodded his head in agreement. “Anyway, he thinks it’s high time I start dating. I told him that I would consider it if he got off my ass and onto someone else’s. I said if he asked that Stark fella out then maybe-”

“Wait, what?” Clint asked quickly enough that it made Bucky flinch.

“The guy has a thing for that Stark guy,” Bucky repeated carefully.

“My boss. Tony Stark?” Clint needed this to be clarified. Bucky narrowed his eyes then nodded. “... James, Bucky, I think we can help each other out here,” he said with a confident smile. “Because Tony said if I hooked up with someone tonight at midnight, he would ask Steve out on a date.”

Bucky was silent for a moment before he grinned. “So what you are saying is-”

“Will you be my fake date for tonight?” Clint asked. “We all get what we want. You get Steve off your ass, I get Tony to finally date someone that is quality material.”

“And what do you get?”

Clint shrugged. “It’s an all around win for me, Barnes.”

Clint watched as Bucky seemed to assess Clint and he tried not to squirm under the darker eyes. Bucky tilted his head. “Let’s do it. One condition.” Clint waited. “I get that dance by the end of the night.”

“Hey, it’s your life you are risking, not mine,” Clint replied. “You lost an arm, sure you wanna lose some toes?” Bucky rose an eyebrow then shrugged.

Suddenly, the party wasn’t dragging like it had been. Falling into an easy conversation, Clint enjoyed talking with Bucky. He was intriguing, an ex-marksman, and risked a hell of a lot of his team. From there they talked about what they did after coming home, not that Bucky had as much time at it as Clint had. And learning how to use a new arm was a hassle, especially with software updates.

“You do what now?” Bucky asked. He leaned forward, his arms on the table to brace him. “I didn’t hear you right.”

“Free time I work with the Stark Foundation. Spring and Summer I teach archery to underprivileged youth,” Clint repeated. “I know, archaic. But, uh, after military life, I’m not the biggest fan of shooting if I don’t have to. And anyway, the loud noise really fuck with the aids.”

“Your shoulders and arms have got to be god-tier,” Bucky breathed.

“I’d strip but-” Clint waved a hand around. “Fall and Winter I teach self-defense. I like volunteering and they are always looking for things to teach people. And archery is kind of a big thing at the moment I guess.”

“Sexy,” Bucky commented. He finished his drink and waved his hands over the table. “Alright, I gotta stop. Holy shit.” Clint knew between the two of them they were quickly running past the right level of tipsy to still somewhat have their heads about them. If it wasn’t a fancy event, and he didn’t want to ruin the suit, Clint wouldn’t have cared.

“Lightweight,” Clint teased.

“Christ, Clint,” Bucky laughed and Clint was beginning to love the way his face fell into that easy, barely there smile. “Alright, we have exactly five minutes here. And someone promised me a dance.”

“And here I thought I could get out of it,” Clint answered as he got up. “Okay, yeah, should have stopped three- what are these again?” he asked, poking at a glass.

“Hell if I know. It had vodka in it and I said yes,” Bucky replied, holding a hand out. “Come on- they are playing the right kind of music.”

Clint wasn’t going to say no. Anyway, this was all part of their plan. Clint needed Tony to stop breathing down his neck, needed him to find someone level-headed enough to pull him back down to the ground; from the sounds of it, Bucky just needed some space. The only rule Tony gave was that Clint needed to be in an embrace at midnight, and Clint could make that happen if that meant Tony could stop secretly pining over Captain Rogers. He owed Tony that much.

Clint took his hand after he rounded the table and took a few steps away from the table before Bucky pulled him in close, a hand on his lower back. Clint rose an eyebrow. “You really going to try leading while you are the shorter one?” he asked.

“Figured you liked a guy who could take charge from time to time,” Bucky replied. “You seem the type. Correct me here if I’m wrong.”

“Mhh, you have no idea how right you are,” Clint replied. “Slow dance. Been awhile.”

“For me it was before the war,” Bucky admitted. “Only really stepped out with girls before.”

“Awww, Barnes, am I your first?” Clint asked. Bucky nearly tripped over his own feet, his face turning redder by the moment. “Holy shit, I am! Oh hell,” Clint chuckled. “Lucky for you, I am a seasoned pro at this. But if you even attempt to twirl me like one of your girls, I am going to have to kick you in the nuts. Just saying.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Bucky replied, schooling his face a little more. “Just never… I guess I never thought I’d have a different choice. I know Steve is confident about being loud and proud, but not all of us are like that I suppose.”

“You sure you want to do this then?” Clint asked. “Steve is high profile, and if you are connected, you just kinda… made yourself that way? And I’m rumored to be Tony’s-”

“Fuck buddy, yeah, I know,” Bucky answered. “It’s a one night thing, right?” he asked. “A way to set up our buddies? I mean, I kinda owe it to Steve-”

“I owe it to Stark,” Clint agreed. “One time deal then?” Somehow the words hurt a little but Clint was positive it was mostly due to the vodka by now.

“One time deal,” Bucky agreed. “By the way- you look good in that suit. It kinda suits you.”

“Ba-dum-cha,” Clint said, his heart fluttering at the laugh that escaped from Bucky. “Hey, in case we get swept away in all the chaos after the clock hits midnight- I had a great night. Better after we met.”

“Yeah, I did too,” Bucky agreed.

Clint flinched when he heard the announcement. Twenty seconds. He looked at Bucky and stopped swaying, and he was pretty sure he had stopped breathing. Bucky looked up at the speakers before his eyes dragged back to Clint, scanning his face. Clint felt Bucky shuffled closer, pressed up against Clint. Clint leaned in, pressing his forehead against Bucky’s as he counted down from ten. He barely whispered ‘one’ before Bucky kissed him.


End file.
